


Happy deathday

by Moon_calvary



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Family Bonding, Felipe and Oscar to the rescue, Gen, Pre-Canon, Victoria is still the baby of the family, minor mention of murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 06:39:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13805580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_calvary/pseuds/Moon_calvary
Summary: It's Victoria's death anniversary and nobody is actually happy.  Oscar and Felipe know how to deal with it.





	Happy deathday

**Author's Note:**

> I just love Victoria and the twins. I think they don't get enough love.
> 
> English isn't my native lenguage, so, i'm sorry if there's any error.

No, he was definitely not trying to convince his grandniece to go to the market with him so that Oscar could finish his plan without Victoria discovering them; of course not. Felipe only needed an extra pair of hands to collect the supplies that Rosita had requested, and he was going to defend that excuse with all the bones of his skeleton.

He had known from the beginning that getting Victoria out of the house long enough for Oscar to end was going to be an almost impossible task; more than anything because the woman in glasses was intuitive and almost as good as Imelda to sense their antics. However, Felipe was not a man who surrendered easily and a young skeleton that was two generations younger than him, was not going to beat him in this, however frightening her accusing gaze might be.

If he was honest with himself, it was not that Victoria's look had the same effect as Imelda's (although he was sure that was the impression his grandniece had); His sister's gaze demanded respect and a fear of what he could do to those who would fill his patience. The youngest member of the family, however, was charged with fear, fear of herself, fear of not being what she is expected to be, fear of disappointing everyone; her gaze was a measure of security for herself, a barrier she had built to protect herself from the world. And that was terrifying, that Victoria was afraid not only of the world, but of her own family.

But that's what he and Oscar were for, and more on this day, the day Victoria died. Most people in the world of the dead had no problems with their days of death, some even celebrated it as a second birthday. However, the people whose deaths were tragic, were another story.

In the case of the Rivera family, Victoria had been the first and only one to reach the world of the dead due to unnatural causes. At that time there were only him, Oscar, Imelda and Rosita. The arrival of the stoic woman had been a surprise for the four deceased Riveras; no one had expected it to be her when the family meeting department had called to inform them of a new deceased member.

The way to the meeting room, where the newcomer was waiting, had been silent; none of the agents escorting them said anything, which made the family more nervous. A death not natural then.

When they discovered that it was the eldest daughter of Coco and Julio, their soul went to the ground. Rosita was the first to approach her to embrace her, lamenting that her niece had arrived even before her parents. Oscar and himself had looked at each other with uncertainty while their sister looked worriedly at her granddaughter. They had not told them her cause of death, which was a bad sign. Normally, the family would be informed during the trip to the meeting room; but, when they did not do so, it was because the newcomer had had a tragic end and the authorities gave them the opportunity to be themselves who told their relatives, as soon as they were ready.  
The first few days had been hard, all trying to give her space while the woman in glasses got used to her situation. Nobody asked what had happened. If Victoria wanted to tell them, then they should let her do it at her own pace.

It was almost a week after her arrival, when Victoria, sitting stiffly on the edge of the sofa and holding Rosita's hand, finally decided to talk and tell her family what had happened; and none of the four had been prepared for the news. She had been murdered. Stabbed in the back as she returned home at night after finishing her deliveries.  
It was as if they had a bucket of cold water throwing at them. Rosita had hugged her niece tightly while Imelda retired to her room, worried about the state of her beloved Coco after having lost her eldest daughter at the hands of a murderer.

That was why Victoria was quieter than usual when these dates were approaching, just like the rest of the family. Felipe and Oscar, however, had no time for sorrow, and although both hurt as much as the others, they were determined to help. If they had not been able to protect Victoria that night, at least they would be with her on the anniversary of her death and would do their best to make her smile.

Which would be much easier if the woman wanted to cooperate for once.

"Why do not you ask someone else?" Victoria asked without looking up from her book.  
-Oscar is busy, your father is finishing an order and Rosita is serving customers- Felipe answered  
-Mama Imelda? -  
-day of collections-  
Victoria looked at him over her glasses before letting out a long, dramatic sigh. With exaggerated slowness she got up, closed her book and left it on the table before turning to her great-uncle and folding her arms.  
-Well, but we only go to the market, no stopovers, no way, no way back- she warned in a dry tone.  
Felipe smiled and led the way to the door. Maybe Victoria was an adult woman at the time of her death, but even so she was relatively young and lacked the experience that he and his twin had, he still had a couple of tricks up his sleeve.

________________

It was better for Oscar to be rushing with "that", because Felipe was not sure he could keep Victoria busy for long. He had expected Rosita's long list, the time and the day of the week to play in his favor and entertain them in the market for at least two hours. As he suspected, the market was crowded; but it was not enough to stop Victoria.  
Apparently, women had an excellent method to optimize her time and travel the market accurately, quickly and efficiently. No wonder Imelda send her when she needed something urgently.  
Felipe really admired the way his grandniece could be choosing the best tomatoes and the next 10 seconds to be in the row of piloncillos while he tried to keep up with the shopping basket. He would definitely try to take her when he and Oscar went to buy things for their inventions.  
But this time, it was bad that she had that gift. There were only three things left on Rosita's list and they had barely been out of the house for forty minutes; and the market was crowded.  
-Ready, we go for the avocados and the onions- said Victoria putting the tomatoes and piloncillos in the basket that her great uncle was holding.  
-and oranges- answered Felipe  
-I went for those- replied the woman while pointing to the six oranges in the basket.  
-What?! When?-  
"On the way to the tomato stand," Victoria answered as she made her way to the avocado stand.  
Felipe sighed to himself. He seriously hoped that Oscar had already finished, because it was obvious that Victoria's goal was to return home as soon as possible.

________________

Oscar was panicking. He did not know how much time he had before Felipe and Victoria returned and the stupid hammer did not show up.  
Each year, he and his twin were trying to come up with something to distract the youngest member of the family on the anniversary of her death. It had been 14 years since their grandniece had joined them, but the family still resented the fact that she had arrived so young and so tragically. Rosita would spend the day in the kitchen, sobbing softly, while Julio, who had joined them a few years ago, tried to comfort her. Oscar knew that Julio, although he understood the weight of Victoria's death at first hand, did not feel like them. Since he had died after her, Julio gave thanks for being able to see his daughter again.

Imelda would reach the point where the workshop was strictly forbidden for the rest of the Riveras, if they wanted to keep all their bones intact. As an unspoken law, when it was the anniversary of someone's death, the business took the day off; but when it came to her granddaughter, Imelda only seemed to find comfort in making shoes (although everyone suspected that it was only because she could hammer and stud things at her will). Oscar and Felipe knew that if he still had blood, their sister would be red with courage.  
And they could not blame her, they themselves felt powerlessness and hatred towards whoever was the bastard who had attacked and killed their grandniece.

Victoria herself acted as if it were not a big deal, but everyone knew that it was only a facade, that in reality she still carried the consequences of that horrible night.  
Oscar and Felipe had tried everything every year: from making cookies, gardening, taking her for a walk, playing with Pepita (who also seemed to want to console the woman with glasses); even a year they dragged Victoria to the garage to help them build a machine that turned out to be a kind of book organizer (both twins were aware that it only worked because of Victoria's wit); but nothing seemed to really work.

Rosita and Imelda had helped the first few years, and even Victoria had cooperated, perhaps in an attempt to distract herself, but as soon as they finished, the weight of reality fell back on her and she retreated to her room. Over time, the two older women had chosen to leave her alone. But the twins had vowed not to rest until they helped her.  
And that's why he needed the damned hammer now!

This year's plan had originally been to take her to a bookstore, but they discarded it because they had tried it once and both had grown bored, which did not go unnoticed by the young woman. So they knew that if they did, Victoria would choose the first books she saw to come back soon so her uncles would not get bored.  
It was something that deeply moved both of them. The fact that Victoria, however cold and distant she tried to act in the outside, still loved them so much that she preferred to put aside books so that they could soon go back to inventing. She changed passion for passion. That only proved what everyone in the family knew: that deep down, Victoria Rivera had an immense capacity to love.

-AHA! Here you are a tool of evil, "he said audibly as he bent down to take the hammer from the ground.  
He quickly climbed the ladder and finished nailing the end of the blanket to the wall, went down and took out several cans of paint. And just in time.  
He heard the front door open and his brother announcing their arrival with heavy trips. Oscar could almost see the scene in his mind. Felipe loading the basket full of groceries, taking strong steps (sure enough to warn his brother of their presence), and Victoria rolling her eyes while helping to put things in the bar, before returning to read.  
A few minutes later he heard his brother's footsteps approaching the door.

-pssssst finished? - Felipe asked quietly, sticking his head out the garage door  
-all ready, bring her-answered Oscar  
-no, it's your turn-  
-come on, you know I'm not good at excuses-  
-just invent something-  
-I can not, there's a reason why I stayed to finish while you distracted her-  
-exactly! And I had a hard time convincing her to go with me to the market, I do not think I can make her follow me here-  
-Depends what for- answered a female voice behind him, startling them both.

Oscar watched while Felipe swallowed and turned to see their grandniece, who looked at them with suspicion and arms crossed.  
-What are you plotting now? - She asked, squinting.  
-Nothing- answered Felipe quickly  
-in fact, how good you are here- Oscar intervened suddenly, approaching both skeletons.

Victoria tried to see over her uncles to discover that they were plotting, but could not distinguish anything since both were taller than her. She was aware that both would try to make her feel better, she had known since she woke up that morning. Every year, on the anniversary of her death, her uncles planned something for her and she appreciated the effort. If she was honest with herself, a part of her, however small, was looking forward to her death’s anniversary, only to see what madness they had planned. It was cute, and although she would never admit it out loud, she spent much of the morning trying to figure out his plans every year. It was like being a little girl again and waiting for her birthday presents.

The stoic woman sighed and tried to enter the garage, but Oscar stopped her.  
-no, first go to change your clothes- said  
-Perdón? – she asked indignant  
-You do not want Mama Imelda to get mad if you mess up your clothes, right? - Felipe continued  
\- What the hell are you planning? -  
-If you want to know- Felipe started  
-Go to change your clothes- Oscar finished.  
Victoria looked at them a moment before sighing and turning to go to her room. Okay, now she was intrigued, what the hell did they plan this year?

________________

How had she ended with her chest to earth behind one of the old garage furniture trying to hide from her uncles' shots and shooting at them at the same time? Victoria did not know. But she loved it.

She had gone downstairs in an old pajama, only to discover that her twin uncles were waiting for her with paintbrushes, little bottles of paint and a huge white blanket pinned to the wall. Apparently, this year's plan was to make a big mural among the three, which had seemed like a good idea. However, everything had taken an unexpected turn when Oscar had tripped and spilled paint on Felipe and he had returned it. In a matter of minutes they were throwing small colored spots at each other occasionally, until they missed the shot and stained Victoria. That's when Troy burned.

She had taken one of the boats and thrown at her great-uncles, covering them with green and marking the beginning of the war. They had quickly attacked each one with their own cans of paint, and even though she herself labeled them as childish, she quickly joined them. The three took as many bottles as they could and ran to take refuge where God gave them to understand.

Victoria knew that she was at a disadvantage, there were two of them and she was one, and they had experience in mischief of this type, but she was not going to give up so easily. She took one of the bottles and slowly poked her head out, dodged the ammunition that Felipe threw her and quickly counteracted, hitting him right in the head and separating his skull from his body. Suddenly she felt something hit her from behind and the cold paint squeeze between her clothes and bones; It was when she realized that Felipe distracted her while Oscar slipped behind her.

________________

Imelda, Julio and Rosita looked at each other before hitting their heads against the door again. There it was, the sound they rarely heard and never thought possible to hear on this day: Victoria's laugh.  
-What are they doing? - Rosita asked  
-Whatever it is, better leave them alone- Imelda answered  
-but- began Julio  
-Would you like to interrupt the obviously good time you are having? - Imelda interrupted, crossing her arms and looking at both siblings. The two shook their heads. 

While everyone returned to their activities, the environment could feel less tense. Rosita started cooking, with renewed vigor. Julio decided to help her by bringing the ingredients and they quickly decided to make a cake, pozole, huaraches and champurrado, because whatever they were doing, it had the appearance of leaving the three skeletons tired and hungry.  
Imelda went to close the workshop before returning to the kitchen to help, leaving forgotten the shoes in which she had worked. While smiling to herself, she shared the thought that everyone was having at that moment: they succeeded.


End file.
